Automatic fire-detector.



2 a. Y. HUGHES & L. J. e-iOPFMANN.

' AUTUMATIU FIRE DETEQTOR.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1509.

HEB.

Ywf OHS w \Nn" NESSES pacity of the tube between the sealing plugs UNITED STATES,

ROY Y.HUGHES nn LOUIS inorrivr To ull'whom it may concern: I lBe it known that 'u-eg'Roy Y. liner-Ins and Loi'ej sJ. lim t-minis), citizens of the United States. reeidi'ngtat Aberdeen. in the county of Brown and State ofSouth Duliotu. huv-e jointlyinvented a ne'w and useful. Autonmtic Fire-Detector, of which thefollowing'ish specification. y i This inyention hus'reference to improvements in fire detectors of the automatic type and its object is'to provide 51' detector sensitive to a moderate increase'in-heat to cause theproduction of an tilurm, but which after having caused "an nlarni isf ugain'reudy for 1 service by simply inverting the' device, the I Structure being otherwise of the self reston ing order. l

.- The invention will be best understood Qfr'oin a consideration ofthe following de- 2 scriptioi'i taken in connection \vi'tlrthe (ic eon' 'pmrvingdrawings forming a part of this 'specificution in whichdrawings:

' Figure l is it side elei a ion of the device.

Fig, 2,is a fuce"yie\v thereof. Fig. 3 is at 2-5 "front to rear section uxiul to the ther1no-se11-' 'sitive device. Fig. t is :1 rear elevation of he device. Fig. 5 is a section at right angles tot-hat elf Fig. 3.

Referring to-tlie drawings there shown at basic member ofu'11y suitable material preferably insulating and refractory of f. ivhioh porcelain may be taken as an example,

and tliisubz'lsic member is preferably in the.

form-of a ring with diaimetrlicully disposed screw holes A equidistant froni'the axis of generation of the ring so that'the device may be readily secured in position and by ren iov ing the screws be reversed and replaced with ease.

.At diametrically opposite points the basic member-is formed With projecting brackets in which are formed grooves K extending from near the front of the brackets to the rearof the basic member; These grooves are 5 designed to receive the ends of a tube-C .which tube is made of insulating material and 1 preferably of glass -although this is not mandatory. Theends ofthe tube are sealed with masses E of suitable sealing mm t'erial and Within the tube there is lodged'a mass]? of mercury and u plug Gof readily fusible material. The quantity of mercury and the mass of'fusible material are sorehited one to the other and to the internal eaor masses E that when the mercury is against Au'roMAric rmn-nn'rncron i i Specification of Letters Potent. LPafente-d. "an,

PATENT 0117 15110131...

ANN, or ABERDEEN, soiiurrr 15A 1909. Serial No; 510,480.

.one of the terl'ninu-l masses ll M15 91 occupy substantiallythe iliiddle ljiill'tltill of the ,tube and between tliis plug of. fusible nmterial und the other member '1 me tube there :1 space ll 01. suhstuntixlh the sonic capacity as the volume of mercury and this space is filled with air. v

lilntering the tube th masses I i zit each end are of tcrz'ni'iuile, I) and l) respectively. The seuling n masses E are of insulating nniteriuliund the terminals D and I) inn tli erefg ciiend into these masses (ind beyond the senator's short-distance into the interior of thetulw C Without being otheru'ise 'ilisuluteil no; p I v 7 The tube C held in plaice in thefsugpoi't by plaster-ofParis or u'nysuitubleineun the purpose, the walls of the pnssug being suitably corrugated or 1 fueilitate the lodo'ment und d plaster of- Paris; filling. l'lli'e' riuull and 1) nm be curried across the: support and there connected to l i binding posts B and B- n hiclibinding po t may be located on the front t me of the support so as to be readily accessible in ullji i'u Theplug' G may be made of we or other like material haying u 'l melting and such material is of coofl'o gravity as compared with 4 but t hen -cold this 'mz'iss will rem'l 'l l lll'H u'ug cury lodged on top tin-root. V

1f 1t be assun' cd that the terminals of the -ularm circuit are connected to the binding;

posts B, then the terminals D connected to these binding posts are under normal (-oncl 1.-

' tions immersed in the mercury muss ii and conseque'ntlythe circuit is closed at these terminals by the mass of mercury. Under these circumstances the alarm circuitnmy active when the circuit is broken, this being a known type of alarmcircuit. V

Should there arise a degree of heat suificient to melt the plug G, which condition Would arise in case of a fire-in the neighboroperate on closed circuit that is it is normolly inactive on closed circult and becomes,

and air are reversed in position while the wax mass G still retains the intermediate position. When the heat has been reduced sufficiently then the wax mass G will cool and harden thus again separating the air space H from the mercury mass F although in reversed position to that first considered. Now by removing the screws holding the support in place the said support may be reversed and by removing the circuit terminals from the binding posts B and attach- .alarm system and when used on a closed ing them to the binding posts B-the device is again in operative condition.

If it be desired to use the device on an alarm system normally inactive on open circuit, then the alarm circuit is initially coupled to the binding posts B, the terminals D then being-inactive.

terminals D, then the-circuit is closed between these terminals by the mercury mass and the alarm circuit becomes active to give a signal:

The device is therefore adaptable without change to either an open or closedcircuit circuit alarm system any disturbance of the device sufiicient to cause the movement of the mercury mass away from the upper set of terminals will cause thejproduction of an alarm and of course any rupture of the 011'- cuit Will also cause an alarm Whatever be the cause of the rupturing "of the circuit.

The circular opening J in the support provides for extensive circulation. of air about the tube C so that in case of fire the heated air Will find ready access to all parts of the tube C- and the wax mass G will be come quickly affected and. melt.

What is claimed is:--

1. A thcrmo responsive circuit controller comprising an elongated member having at When the wax G melts and the mercury falls to the each end a pair of adjacent circuit terminals and within the elongated member a mass of mercury and a fusible plug, said mercury mass and plug occupying less than the internal capacity of the elongated member.

2. In a thermo-responsive circuit con-' bular member there being a mass of mercury and of easily fusible-material, the total mass of the two materials being less than the in ternal capacity of the tubular member.

4. A thermo-responsive circuit controller comprising a suitable reversible support provided near each end with a'pair of binding posts, and a tubular member carried by the support, said tubular member having sealed in each end a pair of circuit terminals respectively connected to the binding posts at the same end of the support, said tubular member containing a mass of mercuryand a mass of easily fusible material, the total mass of the mercury and fusible material being less than the internal. capacity of the tubular member.

ROY Y. HUGHES. LOUIS J. HOFFMANN.

Witnesses i F. V. RAYMOND,

INEZ TAYLOR. 

